Stone carrier attachment for tractors



July 3, 1945. L. GILBERT STONE CARRIER ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS FiledDec. 3, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 3, 1945. 1.. GILBERT 2,379,797

STONE CARRIER ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS Filed Dec. s, 1945 '2 Sheets-Sheet2 5 6' EJ 20 02 Gz'lieri v Patented July 3,1945

* UNITED STATES. PATEN T OFFIC .s'romi' caanma ATTACHMENT ron moronsLloyd Gilbert, Ravenna, Mich. Application-"3, 194:, Serial No. 512,813

Claims. (01.214-130) This invention relates to a stone carrierattachment for tractors, and it is an object of the invention' toprovide an attachment of this kind to be. applied toa tractor whichincludes a hydraulic attachment as standard equipment and wherein theattachment is so constructed and mounted as to easily pick up stones ofa weightup to approximately 1,500 pounds and readily transport the sameand also wherein the attachment can be readily and conveniently employedto shunt or roll about stones which are of extreme size and weight.

The invention consists in the details of con-- structlon and in thecombination and arrangeposition of certain of the parts beingshown indotted lines;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially no the line 2-'-2 ofFigure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in top plan i1- lustratingcertain'features of the invention as;

herein disclosed;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view partly in sec-" 'tion and partly insideelevation of the structure illustrated in Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken through the forwardportion of the carriage.

-As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, I denotes a rock shaft atthe rear portion of the tractor T which is herein disclosed as withinthe upper portion of the rear housing H and extendinclined posts I5terminating a material dising out beyond opposite sides thereof. Thisshaft I v I within the housing is provided with 2. depending rock arm 2operatively engaged with the hydraulically operated piston 3 workingwithin a cylinder 4. The cylinder 4 is in proper communication with asmall pump to be driven on the tractor motor and under ready controlfrom the seat of the tractor, as by a small lever. As the mounting andoperation of the rock shaft I forms no part of the present invention butis a part of the usual form of farm tractor, it is believed that adiagrammatic showing of the same i suilicient. The extremities of theshaft I are provided with the outwardly disposed rock arms 5 to theouter extremities of which are operatively engaged, as at' 8, the, rigidlinks I of desired length which, in turn, are operatively connected, asat 8, with the elongated rigid arms 9 at a point closely adjacent to butinwardly of the longitudinal centers thereof.

These arms 9 have their inner extremities pivotally connected, as atIII, with the frame or chassis F of the tractor, whereby the arms 9 aremounted for up and down swinging movement.

,The arms 9 are at all times substantially parallel as determined by therigid link 1 and it is believed 'to be readily apparent that uponrequisite movement of the piston 3, the arms 9 may be raisedor loweredas desired.

Located between the forward or outer end portions of the arms 9 is thestone carriage C, herein disclosed as formed of one length of barmaterial of requisite gauge. The carriage C is formed to privide therelatively long side members II which constitute runners which mayreadily run over the ground surface when the carriage C is in itslowermost position. The forward extremities of these side members II arecontinued by the upwardly directed and forwardly inclined posts I2 eachprovided at its upper extremity with the outwardly and laterallydisposed trunnions I4 each of which is rotatably disposed through theouter or free extremity of an arm 9, whereby the carriage C as aunitvhas swinging movement independently of and relative to the arms 9.

The rear extremities of the side member's II are continued by theupwardly and forwardly tance below the upper extremities of the postsI2. The upper portions of these posts I2 are inwardly rounded andconnected by an integral cross member I6 which is at an elevation abovethe side members II.

Rotatably engaged, as at IT, with the central portion of the crossmember I6 of the carriage C is the lowerextremity of a heavy rigidmember or bar I8. This bar I8 has its upper endp'oiftion pivotallyengaged by the bolt I9 between' tlue portion of the housing H andsurrounding the 2 2,379,797 shank 24 and interposed between the head 23and the adjacent ppper portion of the housing H is an expansible coiledspring 25 of requisite tension and which serves to constantly urge theupper pivoted end portion of the bar is outwardly to assure the mosteffective operation of the carriage C and also to assure the bar is tobe in effective position to serve as a retaining back for the carriage Cto assure the desired maintenance of a stone to be handled in properposition'upon the carriage C and particularly when the carriage C iselevated to transport the stone from one location to another.

Interposed between and connecting the inner portions .of the arms 9 andthe lower portion of the housing H are the flexible members 26 hereindisclosed as heavy chains. Each of these members or chains 26 is of alength to hold the arms 9 against outward spread under the weight of astone received upon the carriage C.

It is believed to be readily apparent from the foregoing description andfrom the accompanying drawings that the carriage C upon propermanipulation of the tractor T may be caused to properly engage a stoneof considerable size and lift the same so that the stone can be readilymoved. It is also believed to be readily ap parent that the appliedattachment can be used with facility to shunt or shift a stone too largeto be lifted by the carriage C.

As is clearly pointed out in the drawings, it is to be noted, as at 21,that the connection between the arms 9 and trunnions I4 is of auniversal type to assure such flexible movements as may be necessary.

It is also to be noted that the cross member 2. A stone carrierattachment for use in con nection with a vehicle including poweroperated rock arms at an end thereof, members for pivotal connectionwith the vehicle at an end thereof, means for connecting said members tothe rock arms for raising and lowering the members upon swingingmovement of the rock arms, a carriage positioned between the forwardportions of the,

members and including upstanding front posts pivotally engaged with theforwardextremitles of the members, a rear cross member, and anupmembers, the cross members being at the rear ex- 16 at opposite sidesof the member or bar l8 and closely adjacent to such member or bar issurrounded by the rings or annular members 28 welded or otherwiserigidly mounted and which rings or annular members 28 serve to preventrelative shifting of said cross member I6 and the rigid member or bar l8which otherwise would have a tendency to get the attachment out ofbalance or effective position.

From the foregoing description it ,is thought to be obvious that a stonecarrier attachment for tractors constructed in accordance with myinvention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of theconvenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated.

What is claimed is:

l. A stone carrier attachment'for use in connection with a vehicleincluding power operated rock arms at an end thereof, members havingpivotal connection with the vehicle at an end thereof,

extremities of the members, spaced side portions I and a rear crossmember, and a rigid upstanding back bar pivotally coupled with the rearcross member of the carriage and with the vehicle.

tremities of the side members and upwardly offset with respect thereto.

3. A stone carrier attachment for use in connection with a vehicleincluding power operated rockarms at anend thereof, bar members eachhaving pivotal connection at one end with the vehicle, lift linksconnecting said'members to the rock arms for raising and lowering themembers upon swinging movement of the rock arms, a carriage positionedbetween the other endsof the members comprising a substantially U-shapedframe having the side portions thereof disposed substantially parallelwith the ground and pivotally coupled at their free ends with the saidother ends of the members, an upstanding back bar pivotally coupledbetween the yoke portion of said U-shaped carriage frame and with thevehicle, and means for constantly urging outward and downward pressureupon the upstanding bar.

4. A stone carrier attachment for a vehicle, comprising a carriagemember having spaced parallel side bars designed to position upon theground in parallel relation with the path of travel of the vehicle, thesaid side bars at the ends nearest the vehicle being extended upwardlyand transversely to form a cross connecting yoke, the

, free end portions of the bars being inclined upwardly and laterallytoward the adjacent vehicle,

means extending forwardly at an elevation above the yoke and connectingthe laterally inclined ends of the bars with the vehicle forfacilitating the raising of the free ends of the bars, and meanspivotally connecting the central part of the said yoke portion with thevehicle and providing a rigid fulcrum arm for the yoke end of thecarriage.

5. A stone handling carriage comprising a substantially rectangularframe open at one end, the frame comprising spaced substantiallyparallel side bars designed to slide over the ground, the

- side bars at one end of the frame being extended outwardly.

upwardly obliquelyand then extended transverse 1y to form a crossconnecting yoke, the free ends of the side bars at the other end ofthe'frame being bent to extend upwardly at an acute angle to theadjacent side bars and extending laterally LLOYD GILBERT.

